Creative Economy Minister Supports Jakarta to Be Global Cinema City

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Teuku Riefky Harsya reaffirmed the government's support for the film industry at the Malam Insan Film - Menuju Kota Global Kota Sinema event held at Balai Agung, Jakarta City Hall, on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. This event served as a prelude to the Tempo Film Festival 2025, which took place on Wednesday, February 5, at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Central Jakarta.

Teuku discussed the government's ambitious plan to establish Jakarta as a creative economy hub, with a particular focus on cinema. He stated that the Ministry of Creative Economy and the Creative Economy Agency are collaborating with Bapenda (Jakarta Budget Agency) and Jakarta Creative Economy Agency (Kadis Parekraf). "Collaborating to activate Jakarta City as a creative economy city, especially based on cinema," he explained.

According to him, this initiative is part of a broader strategy to celebrate Jakarta's five-century anniversary in 2027.  A key element of this strategy, he suggested, is building a robust film industry ecosystem.

"Because the creative economy is one of the sectors that plays a strategic role in the national economic growth," he emphasized. He further elaborated that the is not merely a form of entertainment, but also an important tool for international diplomacy that can showcase Indonesian creative products to a global audience.

Challenges for the Indonesian Film Industry

CEO of PT Tempo Inti Media Arif Zulkifli delivers a speech at the Malam Insan Film - Menuju Kota Global Kota Sinema event at Jakarta City Hall, February 4, 2025. Tempo/Fardi Bestari

The figures presented by Teuku Riefky highlight the current dynamism of the national film industry. In 2024, 82 million cinema tickets were sold, with Indonesian productions accounting for 65 percent of those sales.

"Film is one of the foundations that support the public's confidence in the creative industry," he stated.  Beyond film, he also observed rapid growth in other creative economy subsectors, including culinary arts, music, game development, applications, and digital content.

However, the Democratic Party politician acknowledged that the industry continues to face challenges, especially in the areas of production financing, market access, and intellectual property protection. "We need to continue strengthening the film industry ecosystem by facilitating financing access, expanding market access, and improving human resources and production quality," he asserted.

One of the biggest threats, he detailed, is the prevalence of piracy on digital platforms. "Another issue is the protection of intellectual property rights," he added.  

To overcome these challenges, he stressed the importance of collaboration among six pillars: government, academia, business players, associations, communities, and the media. "With a spirit of mutual cooperation and innovation, I believe the Indonesian film industry will continue to advance and bring a bigger name to the national economy, especially the city of Jakarta," he concluded.

The 2024 Tempo Film Festival

The Malam Insan Film - Menuju Kota Global Kota Sinema event is part of the series of the 2024 . The event was attended by the Ministry of Creative Economy, the Ministry of Culture, the elected Governor and Vice Governor of Jakarta, and figures in the film industry. This year, hundreds of films were rigorously evaluated before the nominees for the 2024 Tempo's Choice Films were announced on February 1, 2025.

The nominated films spanned various platforms, from cinemas and over-the-top (OTT) services to film festivals. The nomination categories remained consistent with the previous year, namely Film, Director, Screenwriter, Leading Actor and Actress, and Supporting Actor and Actress Tempo's Choice. The jury panel comprised Tempo editors, senior writer Leila S. Chudori, and filmmakers Ismail Basbeth and Nurman Hakim.

Editor’s Choice: 

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